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Thursday, December 15, 2011

The former space that was Minestraio has finally come alive again, giving the Orlando Hotel guests a place to dine in a completely revamped setting and the West Hollywood crowd another late night hangout. Some have been calling The Churchill, from the people that also brought us The Hudson, a "gastropub", but the kitchen headed by Executive Chef Spencer Johnston does not serve typical "gastropub" food and beverage director John Rankin has also created a cocktail-heavy program.

Not stopping there, we also tried the pumpkin infused rum which had quite a strong pumpkin aroma. The wine list also contains some interesting selections like Torrontes, a white wine from the high altitude regions of Argentina.

The charcuterie features La Quercia prosciutto and house-cured meats including a rabbit and pork pate, housemade blood sausage, and Housemade crostini.

Misty point kumamoto oysters

Chef Johnston regularly acquires produce from the Santa Monica Farmers Market and is a big fan of Windrose Farms. I, on the other hand, was a big fan of his Grilled Local Octopus salad, market beans, frisee, chorizo, sherry dressing ($15)

The Chopped Salad with Pancetta would make a good, healthy lunch any day.

For a more casual dinner, The Churchill's wood fired pizzas are a good default orders. Try the wild mushroom and prosciutto or the marinated artichokes pizza with pistachios, burrata, olives.

For those looking for a more elaborate main course, The Churchill has plenty to offer as well.

While I don't usually order chicken, fearing that it would be dry, the roasted chicken here was very juicy and tender.

The desserts are rustic and hearty.

Apple Tart

While for me the cocktails are not quite at the level of the best cocktail bars in LA, they are certainly some of the best cocktails in this part of town. Similarly, the food can stand its own against its neighboring establishments. With a solid program in both food and drinks, The Churchill will probably soon be a local favorite.